


To Love a Beast

by Erin_Leigh



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Erotica, Gay Sex, I have no self-control, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Smut, but gay and horny, this was supposed to be a oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 10:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erin_Leigh/pseuds/Erin_Leigh
Summary: I watch him, confused and intrigued and unsure. “What is it that you want?”The shadows move across his face as he smiles. “To not be so alone for a little while.”I hesitate. I’m not sure what he really wants, but I find it impossible to deny the strange push and pull I feel when I look at him. “I’m not very good company,” I say softly.“I don’t need much company,” he responds in a voice just as soft.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

>   
> Fanart by [evan-housecat](https://evan-housecat.tumblr.com/post/636788810412326912/to-love-a-beast-chapter-2)

There is a young man in my field, unconscious.

It would be best for him if I were able to get him to the nearest village, but I’ve avoided their notice for so long. I’ve grown attached to this home, and I’d rather not be chased off with pitchforks and torches again.

I carefully pick him up, take him inside, and set him on my bed. After I’ve drawn all the curtains to block out all the light, I check for any wounds and, mercifully, find none. His pulse is steady and his breathing is even, so I back a safe distance away and keep silent watch over him while he rests.

When he finally wakes up, I see confusion and fear play across his face. The small details are muted in the minimal light, but the wide eyes and furrowed brow are hard to miss.

“Don’t be afraid,” I say in what I hope is a soothing voice. “You’re safe here.”

His head turns in my direction and I reflexively step further back. He just stares into the darkness, silent.

“I will bring you something to eat,” I continue. “Do you eat meat? I have a rabbit stew.”

I see him nodding, but he still doesn’t speak.

Maybe if I could see his face without the shadows, I would be able to tell what he’s thinking. But maybe it’s better that I can’t.

I withdraw and move quietly through the small house to retrieve a bowl of the stew, then return to the bedroom. I carefully approach and set the bowl on the nightstand before I move back to the doorway.

Distance has always kept me safe. Caution has always kept me alive.

His attention is completely focused on the bowl of stew while I watch him. He eats with quick motions, then drinks the broth with obvious delight. When he is finished, he sighs contentedly and lays his head back against the pillow.

“You are safe here,” I reassure him again. “But please, don’t leave this room unless you are ready to leave this place.”

I slip out of the room and close the door behind me, then lean against it with a sigh.

I can still recall the softness of his skin when I’d carried him inside. Thin, dark lashes against even darker skin. Lips chapped from the cold air, but full and… inviting.

I curse under my breath and wish I was brave enough to risk rejection for the chance at breaking this curse.

But I gave up on hope years ago.

It’s still dark outside, so I wrap a thick cowl around my head and shoulders to hide most of my features before returning to the field I’d found him in. It’s small, just enough to grow a couple different crops I liked.

The nice thing about gardening is that it’s easy to get lost in. I can forget about everything that troubles me and focus instead on these little plants that grow for me just as they would anyone else.

I work until the sky starts to shift at the impending arrival of the sun. When I head inside, I stop by the bedroom to check on my guest.

He’s sitting up in the bed, head tilted as he looks around the room now that a little more light is spilling in from behind the curtains. As soon as the door squeaks, his attention snaps to where I stand.

“I’m sorry,” I say, not sure what else to do.

“Don’t he sorry,” he replies with a laugh as he climbs out of the bed. “It’s your house.”

I nod absently. “I didn’t wake you, I hope?”

“Oh, no. I never fell back asleep after you left.” He takes a step toward me. “I’ve heard rumors about someone living out here all by themselves.”

My throat tightens with a rising fear. “And?”

“And I thought they might understand how it feels to be lonely.” He stops in front of me and clasps his hands behind his back. “I think I was right, too.”

This close to me, I can see even more details of his face. His eyes seem to be a deep brown, though I wonder what they look like with light in them. Perhaps they’re more of a honeyed color than the darkness allows.

I watch him, confused and intrigued and unsure. “What is it that you want?”

The shadows move across his face as he smiles. “To not be so alone for a little while.”

I hesitate. I’m not sure what he really wants, but I find it impossible to deny the strange push and pull I feel when I look at him. “I’m not very good company,” I say softly.

“I don’t need much company,” he responds in a voice just as soft.

After another moment of hesitation, I nod. “My name is Caleb.”

“I’m Aarav,” he replies, leaning in closer to me.

I take a step back. “It’s not a good idea to be so near to me.”

His head tilts. “Why not?”

“It’s complicated,” I lie. It isn’t, really, but I don’t want to explain.

I want to have his company just a little bit longer before he finds out and flees at the sight of me.

“It doesn’t have to be.” He launches himself onto his tiptoes and in an instant, his lips are on mine.

Then his tongue meets my fangs, and his hands find my claws. He jerks back and looks at me with wide eyes.

“What…” He starts, pauses, and then tries again. “What are you?”

I had exposed my heart to the hope I’d sworn off, and now I had to suffer the consequences of feeling my heart break just a little bit.

“I told you,” I say as steadily as I can. “It’s complicated.”

I turn away to stalk out of the house, but he calls out, “Wait! Please, don’t go.”

I shake my head. “I think it’s for the best that I leave.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to act like that.” His feet shuffle against the floor. “I was just… surprised.”

“You should be surprised.” I drag a clawed hand over my face as a soft, keening whine rises in the back of my throat. “You should be many things except still here.”

His hand touches my arm, soft and gentle. “Why?”

I realize that words aren’t enough, so I move to the nearest window and grab the curtains with both hands. With a growl, I tear them from the wall and stand with my back to him, the sunlight illuminating my monstrous form.

“I am a beast,” I mutter.

He sighs, and then suddenly his arms are around me in a tight hug, his face buried between my shoulderblades. “I don’t know what you are, but you’re not a beast.”

I freeze in place, my arms at my sides. Then I feel my body begin to tremble, as if the hug is too great of a strain.

In a way, it is.

I haven’t known the touch of another in so, so long.

“Aarav,” I whisper as my voice cracks with emotions I haven’t felt since I’d been cursed. “You need to leave. The things I want to do to you…”

“Yes?” he asks. “What do you want to do to me?”

I shift in his arms until we’re facing each other, and I carefully cradle his face in my hands. “I want everything,” I whisper. “I want to taste every inch of you and know the difference between your fingers and your toes, your shoulders and your legs.”

I see his throat tighten as he swallows. “That’s…”

“What I want, but I can’t.” I pull my hands away and flex them, the claws curved and sharp. “I could hurt you too easily.”

“You won’t,” he says as he reaches up and takes my hands in his, pulling them back to his face. “I trust you.”

There is no reason for him to; I certainly don’t trust myself. But when you’ve been alone as long as I have, you find yourself willing to believe anything.

I surrender my fear and shame for a chance for happiness, however brief it would be, and our lips meet in a hungry, desperate kiss. I fumble with his clothes, threads catching on my claws in my haste to strip him bare.

As soon as he’s naked, I pick him up and practically throw him onto the bed in my eagerness. He bounces with a small bubble of laughter that’s replaced with an appreciative hum when I climb on top of him and press my lips to his throat.

He arches his back, whispering my name as I ghost my hands down his sides. I flutter kisses down his neck and across his collarbone, nipping lightly before I continue my path downward.

In the back of my mind, I wonder if this is right or wrong. Is this real, or just some animalistic instinct taking over? How much of me is still human, and how much has been replaced by a beast?

The sunlight crawls over him, turning his dark skin into a chocolate brown. Just as I suspected, when his eyes meet mine, I can see different shades of brown and black under a honeyed tone.

I take his erect member in my hand with a loose and gentle touch. As he begins to moan, I dare to tighten my grip, but I keep all of my focus on ensuring I don’t harm him. I can think of nothing else than the sounds I can draw from him with a little squeeze, a little pressure, a little stroke.

He moans, and I lean down to lick and nuzzle the little dip where the shaft meets his balls. He tastes musky and salty, his scent that of pine and wild grass. The sound of his voice as he gasps and moans is like beautiful music. All of it is like an aphrodisiac, and I want more.

My head moves up as I lick a long stripe up the shaft, then lap up the bit of precum at the tip.

“O-oh,” he murmurs, hips twitching at my ministrations.

I take him in my mouth, tracing the veins along the underside with my tongue. I go slowly so that I can dedicate my thoughts to keeping my jaw as wide as possible. I refuse to hurt him, no matter how much lust and desire is in my blood.

I close my eyes and try to enjoy what I can without losing focus. He bucks his hips into my mouth as he begins to pant, the sound of his voice going higher and desperate.

It’s getting harder to keep my thoughts straight. I slide my lips off and move back up his body, taking his face in my hands again. “This is your last chance,” I whisper.

He sucks in a breath, as if bracing himself, but there’s no sign of hesitation in his eyes. I can only see the need I feel, mirrored back at me.

Although I may be a little inexperienced, I know that I can’t just shove my way in. I’m at least twice his size, and I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself back once I’m inside. But I also know that my claws could do just as much damage, if not more.

So I press my lips to his ear and murmur, “Prepare yourself for me.”

The little shuddering gasp he makes is full of delight. I sit up on my knees and take myself in hand, slowly stroking as I look down at him and watch.

He moves his hand down between his legs. I watch, transfixed, as he begins to gently prod and stroke himself. I had no idea I’d enjoy the sight this much.

I squeeze myself a little too tight to stave off the desire to just take him now.

No. I must be patient. I’ve waited this many years… what is a few more minutes?

His eyes flutter closed as he slowly stretches himself, adding a second finger and spreading them apart. When he opens his eyes again, they’re locked with mine, and he runs his tongue over his teeth.

Then he slides his fingers out and offers a soft nod before whimpering, “Please…”

My whole body goes tense as I struggle against my urges, instead easing my way forward. It’s not effortless; his two fingers had hardly prepared him for my girth, but the heat welcomes me in slowly. He whines through clenched teeth, his hands clutching at the blankets as a tremble moves through him.

I freeze in place and look down at him. “Is it too much?”

He shakes his head, opening his eyes to show his need burning almost as strong as mine. “Keep going,” he huffs.

I press my lips to the corner of his mouth and continue to work inside him with shallow thrusts. It’s an agonizing pace, and my muscles ache from the tension that’s barely keeping them under control.

When I’m finally, finally seated inside him, I hold still to give him time to adjust. He gasps for air with quick breaths, his eyes rolled back to stare at nothing far above us. I pepper his cheeks and jaw with soft, reassuring kisses.

He swallows and focuses on me, his eyes still a little hazy. “I’m good now.”

“Okay.” I kiss his forehead before I gently roll my hips to pull out and push back in, moving a little more and a little faster with each thrust.

His head falls to the side, mouth hanging open as he cries out while his body is rocked against the sheets. He hooks his ankles against the small of my back and clenches his hands into fists in an effort to hold himself steady.

“More,” he gasps. “Please.”

Whatever was left of my self-control breaks at the desperation in his voice. I slide my hands beneath him and hoist his lower half up, shifting my own weight to my knees to brace myself as I snap my hips.

His hands fly up around my shoulders and he claws at my back, the blunt curves of his nails barely capable of more than sending tingles up my spine. I growl, moving my own hands to grip his thighs and hold them steady so that when I slam into him, he takes the full force of it.

The cries that are forced from him are high-pitched and constant, almost a howl. His legs tighten around my waist and he crashes his lips onto mine, kissing me desperately as he finally breaks, screamingly soundlessly into my mouth as he comes.

I follow him over the edge, groaning as I release deep within him. My thrusts slow to a stop, and I rest my forehead to his as I try to catch my breath. He’s panting softly, his heart thudding erratically against where our chests are pressed together.

When I finally get just enough strength to pull out, I watch as a thin stream of white trickles out of him and onto the sheets. There’s nothing I’d rather do than stay right there, marveling at his ass, but my body has other plans and I collapse onto the bed next to him.

“That was,” he pants, turning his head to look into my eyes. “Intense.”

Not able to form a proper sentence yet, I just nod. We gaze at each other for a while before I find my voice again. “You truly aren’t disgusted by the sight of me?”

He gives a breathless laugh and cups my cheek with one hand. “How could I be? You took care of me when I needed it. You gave me a bed and food.” His voice softens as he continues. “You trusted me enough to show me who you are… You’re beautiful.”

I mutter, “Kindness and beauty are different things.”

“For you, perhaps.” He shrugs. “Not for me.”

For a moment, I just take him in: the messy hair, the dazed expression, the smile on his lips.

I almost wonder if he could possibly love me.

But it’s too soon for that now, of course. I cannot expect love to happen for him as quickly as it seems to be happening for me. I’m the one who is desperate, not him.

I will be patient. I pull him close and breathe in his scent.

“Thank you,” I rumble.

I will not rush this. I will not ruin this.

I will savor every moment, for as long as he lets me.


	2. Chapter 2

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I awake with a start, cold and alone.

Panic forces my throat closed and I nearly fall as I tear myself from the bed and skid into the main living space. I see Aarav standing naked in the kitchen, eyes wide at my frenzied entrance.

“You startled me,” he says, placing a hand on his chest.

I remain where I am, body tight and ready to flee, and take a quick, shuddering breath. “I… I apologize.” My voice cracks as I struggle to calm my racing heart. “I thought you were gone.”

“I’m just making breakfast.” He smiles and tilts his head. “Why would I be gone?”

I take another breath, counting to three before releasing it. “Because you came to your senses.”

He steps forward and offers his hand. “I’m still here.”

I reach out and grip it. I feel the need to pull him so tightly to me that he could never leave, but I don’t.

I can’t force him to stay. After all, I realize with a heavy feeling in my gut, he had a life before I found him. It was possible that he would want to return to a life where I could not follow.

It’s hard to speak, but I force a smile to my lips. “Thank you.”

He leans forward, resting his forehead against my chest. “Thank you,” he whispers back.

I close my eyes, savoring the moment. That’s all I can do. Savor the moments.

I indulge myself with a soft press of my lips to the top of his head. “What were you cooking?”

He laughs and steps back to look at the pot over the fire. “I’m not sure what happened.”

I take a moment to shift my focus from him to the smell in the air, and immediately sneeze as my nose rejects the scents that assault it. I look down at him with my brow raised, and then I laugh.

It’s a deep, rumbling sound, like distant thunder crashing over rocks. I’d almost forgotten what my own laughter sounds like.

I can’t help it, though. I take a step back and stare at him in feigned horror. “Are you trying to poison me?”

His shoulders shake with soundless laughter. “It… It looks worse,” he admits.

I step forward, and my stomach turns. There are little chunks of things in there that shouldn’t be, and the smell is far from appetizing.

It only makes me laugh harder. Aarav stares at the pot, his face twisting as he tries to keep from laughing, too. It’s no use. He doubles over, clutching at the counter with one hand and waving the other in front of his face.

I pick up the pot, carry it to the door, and chuck the entire thing into the yard. I manage to say between the aftershocks of laughter, “Let’s try something simple… together.”

He nods, grinning, and rubs his face as he continues to giggle a bit. Then he moves toward me, resting his hands on the counter on either side of me. “What were you thinking?”

I pause. He’s so close, and the position he’s in is startlingly intimate. When I lick my lips nervously, I watch as his gaze follows my tongue.

“I… Eggs,” I force myself to say. “I have a hen… We can have fresh eggs for breakfast.”

He leans forward, and my breath catches in my throat as he presses his lips against my cheek. “If that’s what you want,” he says in a low voice, and the way he says it sends shivers down my spine.

I search his face, trying to find answers. “Are we still talking about food?”

He shakes his head as he moves closer, touching his forehead to mine. “No.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. Then, I place my lips against his. He wraps his arms around my middle and leans in closer to press our bodies together.

I shudder and pull away slowly. “Aarav…”

He buries his face against my neck. “I love you,” he whispers.

I close my eyes as he says it, trying to do what I told myself I would. Just savor the moments.

But this moment, I can’t enjoy.

Somehow, the words I’ve always wanted to hear are the most painful. Because if he truly loved me, the curse would be broken, but I’m still a beast.

He pulls away to look up at me with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head, moving back to lean against the counter. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

I chuckle, the sound hollow. “I just don’t understand. Why would you love someone with this face?”

His frown deepens. “What are you talking about? You’re beautiful.”

I cover my face with my hands, and my clawed fingers run across the twisted features. The heavy brow that rests over narrowed eyes. The nose that angles too far down. The coarse patches of hair, like a poorly grown beard all over.

“No one could truly love this,” I say as I try to keep my face covered in shame.

He pulls my hands away and clasps his own to my cheeks. “I do.”

There is nothing but sincerity in his voice. His eyes look at me with only fondness, not a hint of disgust or lies within them.

And, yet, I know it isn’t true.

“I…” I sigh and lean in to kiss him softly. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

His head follows mine to pick the kiss back up, this time running his hands through my hair to elicit something between a growl and a purr. I pull back to look into his eyes once again, then slowly step forward until he’s the one pinned.

“I think my appetite has changed,” I mutter against his lips.

He smiles. “I’m glad.”

I wrap my arms around him, one hand going to his hip and the other cradling the back of his head as our lips meet again.

Slowly, I work my hands under his shirt, running my nails over his back. He shudders at the touch. I break the kiss and move down to his neck, where I gently bite, smiling when he lets out a quiet gasp.

I move both hands to his hips and slowly slide them down over his thighs. His breathing comes fast and shallow, and he’s clutching my shoulders as if for dear life. I glance up at his face to check that he’s still okay.

He looks back at me with wide eyes. His cheeks are red, and he’s panting heavily. There’s a tense, almost hesitant look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, pulling my hands away.

He looks away, then quickly looks back and says, “I… I want to be the one who pleasures you this time, on my knees.”

The sudden thrill that courses through me sends every hair standing on end. “Are you sure?”

“Please,” he whimpers.

The tone of his voice is enough to overpower any concern I have. “All right.”

I watch as he takes a deep breath, then drops down to his knees. I gasp as he gently takes the head of my cock into his mouth, and I tremble as I fight the urge to bury myself in the warmth. I’m already feeling weak and dizzy from just this little bit.

He begins to move slowly, his tongue rubbing and pressing with each pass. I can do nothing but watch as his lips are stretched around me and clutch the edge of the counter tight with both hands.

The sensations running through me are overwhelming, and I feel sweat beading on my forehead as I try to hold back. I’ve never experienced this before. Not before I was cursed, and certainly not after. This is something entirely new, something I didn’t even know I was missing.

I growl as he forces himself further down, then hurriedly pull back when he makes a choked sound. “Are you all right?”

He coughs once, then nods and smiles. “Yes, I just got a little ahead of myself.”

I put my hand on his head and try to push him away when he leans in to try again. “It isn’t necessary to force yourself.”

He doesn’t listen, tilting so that my hand pushes only air and taking me back in his mouth. He bobs up and down with renewed enthusiasm, as if to prove a point. I clench and unclench my hands, not sure what to do with them.

His own hands come up to caress my thighs, and my whole body shudders. He moves slowly, taking his time to run his hands up my thighs and to my balls, which he takes in one hand and gently squeezes.

Then he pulls off and licks his lips as he stands up. “Come on.” He takes my hand and leads me over to the bedroom, where he pushes me onto the bed and climbs on top.

I look up at him with soft eyes. “Aarav…” I cup his cheeks, doing my best to be gentle as I stroke my thumbs over his cheekbones. “You are a marvel.”

He smiles and leans down to kiss my own cheeks. He shifts to position himself over me so that his groin is pressed to mine, and a small movement is all it takes to rub our lengths together.

I gasp and arch my back, my hands flying to his hips to grip them and hold them steady as I grind up into him. My head swims with all the different sensations as we move against each other, his hands on my chest, his eyes half-lidded and lips parted.

The sound I make is some fractured growl, a lustful sound that dissolves into a gasp. That’s when he leans back and tries to take us both in one hand; his fingers don’t meet to complete the grip, but the feeling is just as good as he strokes us.

My fingers play over his hips and waist as I thrust into his hand. He lets out a startled squeak as my thighs hit his ass and nearly knocks him forward.

I freeze. “Too much?”

“No, no.” He shakes his head. “Keep going.”

I take a moment to try to think through the haze of desire, then hold onto his hips to lift him up. I reposition myself so that my length is instead between nestled his cheeks, the head brushing against the small of his back.

With one hand still on his hip, I move the other to wrap around his hand as he continues to stroke himself. I let him drop back down and he rolls his hips to grind against my cock with the entire curve of his ass.

He makes a desperate sound as I force his hand to move in rhythm with my thrusting. The muscles in his arms are corded as he’s trapped between an almost literal rock and a hard place; every movement involves some sort of grind or slide or stroke or squeeze.

There’s nothing he can do that doesn’t stimulate some part of him, and he chokes on a moan when I give a vigorous thrust up. I can feel myself starting to leak where the head pushes against his lower back, and the harder I go, the wetter it gets.

Even without being inside him, I can feel the intensity starting to pool and grow taut. And it seems that he feels the same way, because when I look up at him, his eyes are squeezed shut, his face a portrait of desire.

He’s breathing hard, letting out choked moans and squeaks with each little movement. Then he lets out a long moan as his body begins to shudder, and I feel the streaks of cum as they land across my stomach and chest.

The sight, sound, and feel of his orgasm sends me over the edge and I find my release only a moment later. Just as he starts to collapse on top of me, I give one final thrust, and watch over his shoulder as I mark his back the same way he’d done to me.

We lay there, wrapped in heat, gasping and panting together in a broken staccato. I place a kiss to the top of his head, holding him close with both arms around his middle.

I want to never let go.

A dark part of me wants to chain him up and ensure he has to stay. So there is never a day without his voice, his smile, his warmth.

For the first time in a long time, I feel a swelling in my throat that builds into tears. They well up in my eyes before beginning their descent down my cheeks. I swallow hard in an attempt to stop them, but it’s no use.

The dam inside me is broken, and I feel a sob tear through my chest.

I tighten my grip on him and roll onto my side, curling around him protectively. “I love you,” I whisper with a ragged breath. “I love you.”

His hand moves up to my face to brush away some of the tears as they fall. “I love you, too.” He says it so simply, as though the words require no thought at all.

Instead of relief and delight, I feel only more pain gripping my heart. “Please don’t lie to me. I don’t need your pity.”

He laughs softly to himself, shaking his head. “I don’t pity you. I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t ever pity you.”

His eyes find mine and hold them. I feel my breath catch in my throat.

“I don’t pity you,” he whispers again.

I try to search his eyes for answers or lies,, but I see only love.

“I don’t understand,” I say. “The curse is supposed to be broken if someone loves me.”

His hand slides from my cheek, down my neck, and along my arm. His palm meets mine, and he intertwines our fingers together.

“I love you as you are,” he says with a smile.

I close my eyes and let myself fall into the warmth and sincerity of his voice. The fear is worn away, like wind against stone, shaping it into something different.

As I am?

There’s a hundred or more questions in my mind. But that is the one that rings the loudest: as I am?

He doesn’t love me for who I was, or who I could be. What was it he’d said before? That he sought me out because I understood how it felt to be lonely.

Perhaps I was a cure for him just as much as he was for me.

“Okay,” I whisper, squeezing his hand. “Okay.”

He leans in to kiss me, fangs and all. His hands tighten around mine, claws and all. And he loves me, beast and all.

I no longer feel cursed.

His love, I realize, is all I need.

**Author's Note:**

> ❤️ Thank you for reading! Every kudo means the world to me.  
> 💬 Want to connect? [I'm on Discord!](https://discord.gg/yK8Q9dDY7r)  
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